Within this thesis, the morality of the objectification of women within social media is explored. First of all, the theoretical perspectives on objectification are examined through a feminist lens....Show moreWithin this thesis, the morality of the objectification of women within social media is explored. First of all, the theoretical perspectives on objectification are examined through a feminist lens. It is found that there is a considerable debate within the scholars. Some are of the opinion that objectification is always morally wrong, and others believe that it is dependent on the context in which it occurs. Next, the criteria necessary for the context are developed and analyzed through some examples. Finally, these criteria are applied to social media, and it is discovered that not all criteria are met. This indicates that a negative form of objectification has occurred which can be harmful. The conclusion is drawn that the objectification of women within social media is morally unacceptable.Show less
Bachelor thesis | Cultural Anthropology and Development Sociology (BSc)
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This thesis explores the similarities and differences on social media of adolescents and young adults, in Europe, who are in denial or not regarding climate change. Also, the public figures’ online...Show moreThis thesis explores the similarities and differences on social media of adolescents and young adults, in Europe, who are in denial or not regarding climate change. Also, the public figures’ online activism, Naomi Seibt (young German climate-denier activist) and Greta Thunberg (young Swedish climate activist), are rigorously studied to draw comparisons between non- deniers and deniers. Then, the research question addressed in this thesis is: What are the similarities and differences between the young individuals, in Europe, who are in denial or not regarding climate change, on social media? To compare both groups online, a contextualization background and a justification are provided to understand why some young individuals remain in denial despite a scientific consensus convinced on the existence and negative impacts of climate change. Also, it explores which social actors outside the scope of this thesis can benefit from the analysis brought. Additionally, the main social actors (non-deniers, deniers, and social media) are defined, and a theory is drawn to brainstorm this thesis’ puzzle. In terms of methodology, literature review and research on Seibt’s and Thunberg’s social media activities have been performed, and ethical considerations have been taken into account to not harm observed online users. Furthermore, similarities and differences between non-deniers and deniers individuals are extensively examined in four empirical sections. The first one explores the social factors and background that would lead one to express denial or not. The second one discusses the conceptualisation of science by both groups on social media. The third section talks about the identity formation regarding climate change online. The last one analyses the expressed mistrust on social media, individuals in denial or not have in wider societal structures and social actors. Finally, concluding remarks and further suggested research is detailed.Show less
Bachelor thesis | Cultural Anthropology and Development Sociology (BSc)
closed access
Following the pioneer work of Bettie,Ortner and McRobbie, this thesis analyzes how cultural discourses arisen from big societal trends in the last decades have contributed to a limited...Show moreFollowing the pioneer work of Bettie,Ortner and McRobbie, this thesis analyzes how cultural discourses arisen from big societal trends in the last decades have contributed to a limited consideration of young women’s class realities. As the internet has become part of everyday life, it has opened up new possibilities for identity formation and representation. Following the increasing blurring between offline and online spaces and identities, the analysis also looks at class, at the intersection of other social axes, as it acquires a transmediated nature, and presents the ways in which online presence and practice remains highly classed and gendered. The three chapters unveil the influence of postfeminism, neoliberalism, and postindustrialism on class expressions, the impact of digital spaces on identity negotiation, and the agency of young women in countering dominant discursive structures. Through an intersectional and transmediated lens, this work emphasizes the importance of recognizing class complexities within contemporary identities. By connecting historical insights with present-day considerations, it contributes to a comprehensive understanding of class dynamics and the nuanced interactions between class, gender, and digital spaces. Current considerations include the content of popular discourse and media, the use of digital spaces and a conceptualization of internet aesthetics such as 'cottagecore' and 'dark academia'. Each chapter offers a specific lens into why and how the class realities of young women are both expressed and hidden through the current prevalent discourses informing the construction, explanation and understanding of young women’s identities.Show less
This thesis uses a comparative analysis to determine whether the underlying strategies that China employs in their propaganda efforts in regards to Taiwan during the modern age of social media and...Show moreThis thesis uses a comparative analysis to determine whether the underlying strategies that China employs in their propaganda efforts in regards to Taiwan during the modern age of social media and the internet are the same as the strategies that were employed in this field in the era between the defeat of the KMT in China and the invention of social media.Show less
Since the first oil-boom of the 1970s, the Arab Gulf countries have witnessed rapid socio-economic developments as a result of expansive oil-revenues. These rapid socioeconomic developments were...Show moreSince the first oil-boom of the 1970s, the Arab Gulf countries have witnessed rapid socio-economic developments as a result of expansive oil-revenues. These rapid socioeconomic developments were multifaceted, but in a region known for its social conservatism, it is interesting to explore the evolution of the position of women amid socio-economic changes. The expression of female agency offers numerous possibilities to explore this evolution in Arab-Gulf societies from a woman’s perspective, but it also offers challenges to Western academics as contemporary literature on female agency in the Arab Gulf is limited. In this thesis, I present a case study of the social media accounts of six Arab-Gulf women with a relatively large social media following. Research has been conducted into their social media posts to explain a changing attitude in female agency in the Arab Gulf, in terms of clothing, self-expression and positioning in their society. As all six women are part of the wealthier echelons of their society, it is interesting to observe that there is little cohesion in their posts to changing societal progress in terms of women’s rights. While the women seem to acknowledge societal change through their posts, none of them used their relatively large social media following to explicitly call out leaders to demand rights or to express gratitude for obtained rights. This research highlights the need for further exploration into the expression of female agency through the use of social media in a digitalizing world.Show less
Donald Trump was a highly controversial figure in the 2016 and 2020 elections. He presented himself as America’s hero (Mercieca, 2020). Trump's 2016 campaign was marked by an unique and...Show moreDonald Trump was a highly controversial figure in the 2016 and 2020 elections. He presented himself as America’s hero (Mercieca, 2020). Trump's 2016 campaign was marked by an unique and idiosyncratic rhetoric and campaigning style in which social media play a large role and especially his use of Twitter was remarkable (Polak, 2018). Trump’s rhetoric was full of pathos-driven techniques like: America first exceptionalism, hyperboles, repetition, fear appeals, ad populum and ad hominem arguments (Mercieca, 2020) while his rhetoric lacked complexity (Skinnel, 2018). Furthermore, Trump was known to distort facts (Skinnel, 2018). Although Trump was suspended from Twitter, begin January 2021, shortly after losing the election and the storming of the capitol took place, he has recently made a re-entrance on Twitter. The author of this paper wishes to contribute to the current research on Trump’s unique rhetorical style which continues to have a strong influence in America and do so by analysing Trump’s Twitter use during the 2020 elections, making use of a corpus based approach supplemented by a qualitative analysis of his rhetoric.Show less
More than 95%. This is the highly alarming number of incidents of sexual violence in Japan that are not reported to the police according to a study from 2018.1 In fact, in Japan, sexual crimes...Show moreMore than 95%. This is the highly alarming number of incidents of sexual violence in Japan that are not reported to the police according to a study from 2018.1 In fact, in Japan, sexual crimes continue to carry a heavy stigma and society’s approach to it remains sexist and archaic.2 From 2017, #MeToo, a hashtag constituted of two simple but powerful words has travelled around the world enabling women to voice their allegations of sex crimes. This movement could have been the opportunity to break the silence about sexual violence in Japan, nonetheless, it did not seem to take root in the country. This thesis aims to shed light on the struggle endured by victims of sexual violence in Japan who dared to speak up in a society unwilling to understand their pain. This thesis intends to dive into this matter and analyse how the adverse reactions to allegations of sex crimes reflect Japanese society’s stance toward the #MeToo movement.Show less
Worldwide, an increase in cases and severity of domestic violence (DV) has been reported as a result of the 2019 Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19) pandemic. As one’s language can provide inferences...Show moreWorldwide, an increase in cases and severity of domestic violence (DV) has been reported as a result of the 2019 Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19) pandemic. As one’s language can provide inferences about one’s mental health, this study analyzed word use in a DV online support group, aiming to investigate the COVID-19 pandemic’s impact on the mental health of DV victims. As social support and leisure activities might mitigate the consequences of DV on one’s mental health, their role as protective factors was examined. 5856 posts were collected from a DV support group and from two comparison groups on the social media platform Reddit. Confirmatory analysis was conducted following a registered pre-analysis plan. The results show that DV victims used significantly more linguistic indicators of depression than individuals in the comparison groups. However, linguistic indicators of depression did not increase significantly with the onset of COVID-19. Negative emotion words showed a weak negative correlation with words referring to social support (rho = - .110) and leisure activities (rho = -.137). Similarly, pre-occupation with COVID-19 was associated with using more negative emotion words (rho = .148). Exploratory analysis revealed that mid-pandemic, daily posting frequency in the DV support group was 22% higher than pre-pandemic. It is concluded that DV victims show more linguistic indicators of depression than comparison groups and that these characteristics are stable over time. Further, one’s concern with COVID-19 could contribute to negative emotions, whereas social support and leisure activities could function to some degree as protective factors for victims of DVShow less
Due to the Venezuelan Exodus, Peru has received over 1,2 Million Venezuelan immigrants, provoking a turn towards the criminalization and securitization of migration. This study adopts a Discourse...Show moreDue to the Venezuelan Exodus, Peru has received over 1,2 Million Venezuelan immigrants, provoking a turn towards the criminalization and securitization of migration. This study adopts a Discourse-Historical Approach to investigate how Venezuelan immigrants in Peru are socio-politically criminalized in news articles by Exitosa Noticias shared on Facebook in February 2021. In a second part, the public response to these articles will be examined through an analysis of the Facebook comments, which can give an indication of discourse patterns on Venezuelan migration among a subgroup of the Peruvian population. The main findings are that news coverage by Exitosa Noticias and the dominant discourse perpetuated by their readership has strong elements of criminalization. By use of referential and predicational strategies, the Venezuelan immigrants are represented negatively in the comments and often linked to criminality.Show less
Even though scholars have extensively researched the underrepresentation of women in U.S. politics, the focus has always been on the existing political system and the traditional campaign...Show moreEven though scholars have extensively researched the underrepresentation of women in U.S. politics, the focus has always been on the existing political system and the traditional campaign mechanisms. Drawing on the concepts counter-hegemony and counter-public and through conducting an Ethnographic Media Content Analysis, I research the possibilities of approaching politics in a different way, beyond the status quo. In doing so, I focus on the way in which Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez is using social media platforms for political campaign purposes. Analyzing several performances of AOC in the media, I argue that, ultimately, AOC has created a counter-public in the media sphere, through which she serves the counter-hegemonic purpose of confronting the traditional ways of political campaigning. Subsequently, I examine the implications of AOC’s counter-public and discuss how it can be seen as an example for other women, that is, how her example of campaigning can contribute to increasing the representation of women in U.S. Politics when they shape their campaigns differently than the norm.Show less
This thesis will focus on the popularisation of the feminist movement. It will look into how several influential mainstream Instagram trends, such as the VSCO Girls and the Insta-Baddies,...Show moreThis thesis will focus on the popularisation of the feminist movement. It will look into how several influential mainstream Instagram trends, such as the VSCO Girls and the Insta-Baddies, incorporate feminist ideals in their aesthetic. Nowadays, stereotypical gender imagery is not only visible in advertisements, films and pop culture anymore, but also on social media. Platforms like Instagram and Snapchat, where imagery is the main component, have a humongous influence on its users’ way of thinking, and with that their self-image and self-esteem. Through the past decade, there has been risen more attention for these so-called toxic social media habits. New online social media trends try to reprogram the well-known stereotypes and toxic aspects. The focus of this thesis is, therefore, on the influence feminism has on visual media, specifically female performativity in Instagram posts. Do women challenge or perform the Male Gaze? Could there be said that current Instagram aesthetics execute feminist ideals? The trends will be analysed (loosely) based on the Roman stylistics of translatio, imitatio and aemulatio. This will show where we are currently finding ourselves in the progress of challenging the Male Gaze and executing feminist ideals online. It will show that there has been made quite some progress, especially in mainstream culture, but that there is still a long way to go as well.Show less
In the last couple of years, scholars have been arguing a decline in political participation, especially among young people. The Fridays for Future movement with thousands of young climate strikers...Show moreIn the last couple of years, scholars have been arguing a decline in political participation, especially among young people. The Fridays for Future movement with thousands of young climate strikers counters these statements. The aim of this thesis is to investigate the facilitating role of social media on youth political participation. This thesis analyses how social media contributes to the formation of a collective group identity of social movements, which in turn could lead to collective political action. To answer this question, content analysis of comments on three Instagram posts by Fridays for Madrid have been used, looking at the four foundations of collective group identity: solidarity, emotional attachment, group cohesion and activist-based identification. The results demonstrate the facilitating function of social media in the formation of collective group identity, by enabling more easily and frequently interaction between participants and the social movement compared to offline social movement activities.Show less
This thesis looked at how political parties utilize social media platforms as part of their electoral strategies. To that end, the research explored the case study of Latvia through the center...Show moreThis thesis looked at how political parties utilize social media platforms as part of their electoral strategies. To that end, the research explored the case study of Latvia through the center-right populist party Kam pieder valsts [Who Owns the State] and center-right Jaunā konservatīvā partija [New Conservative Party] using content analysis methods on the parties’ pre-election Facebook entries. The research found that the two Latvian political parties utilized social media platforms predominantly to broadcast information, news, party stances/program, criticisms and attacks, and other content that does not utilize the interactive potential of social media. Furthermore, the populist party made extensive use of social media to advertise its on the ground activities, supplementing its offline strategy.Show less
The article examines the use of social media during crisis events. In this particular case, the focus is on the use of Twitter in meaning-making processes during terrorist attacks in Paris and...Show moreThe article examines the use of social media during crisis events. In this particular case, the focus is on the use of Twitter in meaning-making processes during terrorist attacks in Paris and Brussels. The article examines how visual material in the form of images was used on Twitter in order to create counter-discourses alongside the dominant discourse.Show less
